In the modern workforce, employment gaps are a fact of life. Gone are the days of joining a company right after high school or college and staying there until you retire. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics did a longitudinal study on baby boomers and found that the average person held 12 different jobs by the age of 52. In today’s gig economy, those numbers are likely to go much higher. While it’s always best to get a new job before leaving your last one, that is not always realistic. Here’s how to explain employment gaps adequately in an interview.
Be Prepared
If you were only out of work for a few months, the subject might never come up, especially if you are currently employed. However, anytime you have a gap in employment, your interviewer may ask about it. While you don’t want to sound rehearsed, you need to be prepared for the question. Think through your strategy ahead of time so that you are ready to answer when asked.
Be Honest with a Positive Spin
Whatever happened to cause you to leave your job, it is important to be honest. However, it’s equally important to spin the negative into a positive. If you were fired, acknowledge that fact and then reflect on what you learned from it. Were you laid off? Talk about your strengths in the position before the layoff. If you quit for personal reasons, discuss how taking the break made you a stronger employee.
Fill the Gap
Humans are continually learning and growing. Think of three or four things you did with your time that could be valuable to an employer. Maybe you took a class or held a volunteer position or created a blog. Did you do any freelancing? Learn how to use a new piece of technology? Perhaps you held a leadership position in your community. Gaining skills and experience doesn’t only take place in a paid, full-time work environment. Be ready to explain what you did and how it contributed to your professional growth.
Steer the Conversation
Sometimes the reason for an employment gap is highly personal, and you may not want to go into much detail. Once you have given a brief explanation of the gap, don’t be afraid to steer the conversation away from it. One great way to do this is to ask the interviewer a question. Another option is to share a relevant story from one of your previous workplaces. As a last resort, you can always end the conversation. If the interviewer insists on digging for personal details after you have explained your employment gap, the company may not be the right fit for you.
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